The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Armed men seize a New York subway train and hold its passengers for ransom, leaving city officials scrambling to work out how the crooks could possibly get away.

This 1974 crime thriller blends tension with dark comedy as transit police face off against a gang of hijackers demanding money for a trainload of hostages. Directed by Joseph Sargent, the film stars Walter Matthau as the harried official on the case, with Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam and Héctor Elizondo among the criminals. A taut, witty slice of 1970s New York action cinema.